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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25966495">The Gift</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tweekscoffebean/pseuds/Tweekscoffebean'>Tweekscoffebean</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Special Occassion One shots [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>South Park</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aged up characters, Best Friends to Lovers, Craig Tucker/Tweek Tweak in love, Craig may be a bit occ, Craig’s Gang - Freeform, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Love Confessions, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, Tweek Tweaks Birthday, birthday gifts, slight angst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:35:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,760</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25966495</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tweekscoffebean/pseuds/Tweekscoffebean</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tweek receives a mystery parcel while working at Tweek Bro’s days before his sixteenth birthday,  Who could it be from? What is it? Is it a threat from the Gnomes, or North Korea, or is it something else completely?</p><p>Craig and co know what it is, but they aren’t saying.</p><p>Or the fluffy  Tweek’s Birthday fic where Craig and his gang give Tweek the best birthday present ever!!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clyde Donovan/Bebe Stevens, Craig Tucker/Tweek Tweak</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Special Occassion One shots [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884700</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Gift</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>IN Honour of Tweek’s birthday here is a tooth rotting sweet Creek birthday fic for you all. I hope you enjoy.</p><p>Thank you Ambercreek95 For editing this and practically all my stories! Your hard work is so appreciated.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Gift:</p><p>Its midday in August and the glare from the midsummer sun’s glittery rays hang over the occupants of South Park. The temperature is beyond humid. In fact, it is bordering on hellish. The sun seeming to take great delight in torching the Earth’s atmosphere with its liquid waves of heat. Even indoors, there is little relief from those malicious rays. The air stagnant and oppressive has caused a swell in grumpy town’s folk trying to escape the heat. Tweek Bro’s, as a result, is hopping. The town’s only family owned and operated Coffee shop is stuffed full with irate customers. Trapped behind the till, forced to deal with these insufferable patrons, is Tweek Tweak and his best friend Craig Tucker. It originally was supposed to be Tweek’s day off, so of course his parents had cheerfully informed him that morning as he ate his cornflakes and drank his iced coffee that he needed to help Craig work the shop today, and if he refused? Well they would be forced to sell him to the Gnomes of course. After Tweek stopped freaking out about that particular threat, he reluctantly agreed to the extra shift. His parents then informed him that they were going to the beach for the day to take advantage of the nice weather, which means both Tweek and Craig are stuck there until the cafe’s ‘closer’ Kenny McCormick waltz’s in for his shift around 7pm. Tweek silently hopes that the sun’s radiation will fry his parents skin to a nice crispy   texture.</p><p>So that is how he got to this moment, making iced latte after iced latte, watching as Craig slowly starts to lose it at customer after customer and trying desperately not to laugh at his best friend’s misfortune. It wasn’t so much the ironic hilarity of the situation that Tweek finds so endearing, but rather how flustered Craig is getting. The current customer, a rather nasty older shrivelled up grey-haired woman, is standing there red face screaming at Craig for not listening as he once again informs her that a Mocha actually does have Coffee in it. Still, she insists on her need to order coffee in her iced “coffee-less” Mocha with an extra pump of chocolate. </p><p>Craig forces his lips into the biggest pseudo smile Tweek has ever seen and grabs a large paper too go cup, writing ICED MOCHA WITH COFFEE on it in big black letters. As he does so, he tilts the cup towards the stupid witch and proceeds to discreetly flip her off. She looks like a witch so that is what Tweek is calling her in his mind. The witch gives a smug, I-am-better-than-you look before moving off to the side and brazenly staring at Tweek as he makes her drink. Craig rolls his eyes before taking the next customers order, his smile growing more and more fake as the minutes tick by. This time, some middle school brat wants a Chocolate-less Mocha. The request makes Craig groan in displeasure and he instantly reaches for one of Tweek bros paper cups. Craig has developed this trick of holding the shops paper cups up in such a way that his middle finger is directed towards the customer but out of their line of sight. He doesn’t waste it, as for a second time in less than a minute, he is forced to deal with a customer’s stupidity. This inside joke that the boys find hilarious and which Craig has been written up for numerous times, isn’t really a secret, and a lot of their classmates will come in just too purposely piss Craig off. Eric Cartman especially tries to purposely annoy Craig every shift in the hope of getting him in trouble, which usually works, but Tweek’s parents would never actually fire Craig.  Not only would they have one less teenager to exploit, but they highly suspect and often suggest (in the most embarrassing ways) that Tweek and Craig are more than just friends. They are in fact half right and this is the very reason that, even without his parents request, Tweek would have spent his day inside of Tweek Bro’s regardless just to keep Craig company. </p><p>You see Tweek Tweak has been keeping a little secret from the world, but especially from Craig. For the past several years, as long as Tweek can remember, possibly forever, Tweek has harboured very non-platonic feelings for his best friend. Tweek is not a creep though and would never force his feelings on to the other, so he sits in the background content just to be near Craig.</p><p>It is days before his Sixteenth birthday and, despite the oppressive heat and the endless summer days wasted at work, Tweek is excitedly anticipating the day. He usually doesn’t pay much attention to his birthdays as his parents mostly make him work, but this year, Craig has somehow used unknown magical abilities to charm his parents into not only giving them the day off but the day after as well. There is also something else swirling in the air around them that seems to be getting more concrete as the days progress and Tweek’s birthday grows closer. For the first time since Tweek accepted his own feelings, a new emotion has claimed him; hope. Craig has grown more and more affectionate over the past few month and even Tweek, who is rather oblivious, has noticed how his stoic friend’s behaviour towards him is greatly different than any of their other friends. It’s not just the fact that Craig is acting sort of emotional towards him, but more the way Craig reacts to Kenny. </p><p>It was Kenny himself who first made the observation and gave voice to the word that in return gave voice to the hope Tweek holds fast too. Craig and Kenny may not be the best of friends, but the parka wearing flirty blond is actually, or rather was, one of the people Craig tolerated until very recently. It started in February when Kenny, being a natural flirt and all around good guy, gave Tweek a platonic Valentine, with the option of being not so platonic of course. Kenny had done this at work in front of a bunch of customers (how embarrassing) and Craig. Kenny had in fact winked at the stoic boy as he flung his arm around Tweek’s shoulder, and then proceeded to tell him that he could give the blond a real present later if Tweek wanted. Craig had flipped Kenny off so fast that Tweek was shocked he didn’t break his fingers or something. Then he had huffed away in annoyance, ignoring the growing line of customers, which is when Kenny had turned to Tweek and said in his most flirtatious voice that Craig must be suffering from monsters of the green kind. Ever since that day, Tweek can’t help but notice little things about the other that is leading him to believe that maybe, just maybe, this thing between them isn’t so one sided after all.</p><p>The bell chimes over the shops front door announcing yet another slew of customers, but instead of witchy old women or annoying middle school brats, in walks the other members of their little gang. Token Black, Clyde Donovan, Jimmy Valmer and, Clyde’s better half, Bebe Stephens. The group head over to their usual table towards the back of the cafe (it’s so natural to see the group of teens in the cafe that other customers steer clear of the table). Once settled at the table, Token stands up and walks casually towards the line of customers. He gets into line behind two girls from their school; Annie and another girl Tweek doesn’t know, who is trying desperately to capture Craig’s attention, and failing. Tweek does a little mental fist pump at that realization. Standing in front of the girls is a tall dark haired UPS delivery guy. He is holding a small brown package in his hands, and smiles slightly at Craig as he steps up to the counter.</p><p>“I got a delivery for Tweek Tweak,” he says in a smooth, slightly accented voice as he puts the package on the counter, and stares up at the drink menu, “since I am here, I might as well order something.”</p><p>Craig flashes that fake smile, glares at the package, and turns and looks at Tweek. “You order something or  whatever? </p><p>Tweek shakes his head as he stares at the parcel in suspicion. “Gah, ngh, no,” he reaches for a paper wrapped straw and pokes at the package with it, “who sent it?” </p><p>The delivery guy shrugs, “It doesn’t say.” He continues to squint up at the menu. </p><p>The girls behind him frown, and Token looks on curiously. The one girl who Tweek doesn’t know, (Tweek thinks she just transferred to their school) steps forward so she is standing next to the UPS guy. She nervously twists her dark curls around her index finger as she stares at Craig, a slight blush on her face. “Hi Craig,” she bats her eyes up at him fluttering her long mascara drenched eyelashes, “can I ask you something.”</p><p>Annie shakes her head behind her friends back before she turns to Token. The two begin to converse, Annie giggling at something Token just said. </p><p>For his part, considering his personality, Craig is handling the flirting pest with remarkable patience. He arches a brow at her in question. “What do you want?” </p><p>The girl is practically vibrating in place from excitement, she wets her bottom lip and gives Craig a sultry look. “Can we go somewhere more private to talk?”</p><p>Craig takes a single side step closer to Tweek, which makes the blond beam with pleasure and flash the intruding brat a wide smile. “Sorry, can’t.” Craig’s monotone voice replies. </p><p>The new girl frowns slightly, “maybe after you finish work we can–”</p><p>Craig cuts her off before she could further waste his time, “not interested, now get back in line or leave.” He turns his attention to the UPS guy, “I recommend the Iced Mocha.”</p><p>The girl is sulking, as she says, “why? It’s not like you have a girlfriend!”</p><p>“No I don’t… I have a boyfriend.” Casually, Craig flings his arm around Tweek’s waist and pulls the blushing blond closer.</p><p>The girl’s eyes go as wide as saucers and then she spins on her heal and storms out of the cafe. </p><p>Craig gives Tweek a sheepish grin before turning back to the UPS guy.</p><p>For his part, Tweek somehow is able not to spontaneously combust on the spot. His face is turning a lovely shade of crimson as the words Craig had just spoken ring through his ears. The other’s pseudo confession is causing his heart to beat so fast that Tweek is sure it’s going to jump out of his chest and do a victory lap around the coffee shop. He feels dizzy, so much so, that he has to stop making the drink he is working on and place his hands on the counter so he doesn’t fall. Tweek can taste the possibility, like the very concept of Craig wanting to be with him is somehow tangible. His treacherous mind repeating those tempting words over and over again, I have a boyfriend. He knows Craig didn’t really mean it, that he was just using it as diversion to get rid of the girl. Yet, the way Craig is now subtly studying him from the corner of his eye as he rings up the UPS man’s order, makes the hope Tweek has carefully been cultivating swell to the surface. Craig isn’t one to mince words after all. He is out spoken, direct and to the point. He doesn't often say something unless he means it. </p><p>“Tweek,” The sound of his name coming from the lips of the one he cherishes most pulls Tweek from his musings. Slowly, very slowly he turns and locks eyes with Craig.</p><p>Craig is openly studying him now, his own face slightly flushed. He is jumping back and forth in place, but otherwise, you would never know that he had just potentially changed everything. He clears his throat, “are you okay?”</p><p>Tweek’s heart is about to explode, its pumping blood too fast. Its erratic beat echoing Craig’s name and mixing with those words spoken so honestly that still cling in the air around them, like some kind of spoken ghost. That’s it. That explains everything. Craig is haunting him.</p><p>He shifts nervously, trying desperately to will his thoughts, heart, entire being to concentrate on his job and not the stoic boy standing so close to him. He is twitching and shaking, the tremors of hope, coursing through his body.</p><p>Time seems to have slowed down, as Craig stares openly at him. The customers have grown restless, the line increasing with every moment Tweek takes to wrap around all of this, and yet they aren’t there, can’t be there. Craig after all is the only presence Tweek can see. It’s like he has tunnel vision, and he knows he is giving himself away. He knows his feelings are clear as day on his face, and yet he can’t help it.</p><p>Finally after what seems like forever, Tweek is able to calm himself enough to speak, to form some form of coherence. “I… I…am… oh God…pressure… “ he squeaks and then, beyond his control, high pitched, crazy laughter escapes him. He knows he sounds insane. That the half formed laughter shows just how unstable this whole thing has made him.</p><p>Craig’s usual stoic nature crumbles, his dark eyes grow weary with worry. With a frown, he reaches over Tweek, quickly making an iced Mocha and passing it to the guy, and then he turns to the line of customers.</p><p>“SORRY! Lunch break” he informs them. Then before anyone, including Tweek, can complain, he grabs the parcel off of the counter, reaches out with his free hand and curls his fingers around Tweek’s hand. He then half pulls, half drags Tweek out from behind the counter.</p><p>Instantly, Token is there wrapping his arms around Tweek helping Craig lead him towards their usual table. Oh God, was Craig really going to do this in front of the others? Was that bad or good? What does this mean? The trembling blond can do little else but follow his friends.</p><p>Craig somehow has beaten them there. When did he let go of Tweek’s hand? He is sitting on the empty bench across from the others who are all crowded around the other side of the table. The parcel, the catalyst that started all of this, sits delicately on the table just off to the side.</p><p>The sheepish look from before is back on Craig’s face as he pat’s the seat beside him. Gently Token pushes Tweek until Tweek moves forward and slides into the seat beside Craig. Almost immediately, Clyde flashes the two a excited smile , jumps up from his seat next to Bebe and goes to sit down next to Tweek that is until Craig’s eyes harden and fall onto the brunette. “Fuck off Clyde.”</p><p>Clyde’s eyes fill with water and his bottom lip wobbles as he looks at Craig. At the moment, he resembles a kicked puppy. He stands awkwardly at the side of the table, “BUT Craig,” he says in a high pitched whine before sighing loudly and returning to his spot next to his girlfriend.</p><p>“I would like to be alone with Tweek,” Craig says matter of factually, completely unfazed by Clyde’s demeanour.</p><p>“But we’re not alone,” It’s the first time since Craig has uttered that intoxicating phrase that Tweek has control enough over himself to speak an actual coherent sentence.<br/>
A slightly uncomfortable cough, and then Craig is pushing the parcel towards Tweek. “Open it.” It’s a demand, not a question or suggestion.</p><p>Tweek looks back and forth between Craig and the parcel, trying to read his friend’s expression, but stoic Craig is sitting there beside Tweek, totally un-phased by anything that has happened.</p><p>The others stare at them with abject curiosity and, once again, Tweek wonders why Craig has chosen to do this (whatever the hell THIS actually is) in front of their friends. He knows the others would never judge him or do anything to hurt him, but he can’t help feeling like he is some kind of animal trapped in a zoo. Were his friends all replaced with Aliens? Oh God, was that what this was? Did Craig and the other get taken over by pod people? Or maybe Gnomes? That must be it, they were replaced by the invasion of the space Gnomes, and they are waiting with barely concealed anticipation for Tweek to open the parcel and… and… what was in the Parcel?</p><p>He stares at the simple brown paper as if it has three misshaped Troll like heads jetting out of it, each with razor sharp teeth, dripping with blood.</p><p>“GAH!”</p><p>Craig turns and looks at Tweek, eyebrows slightly raised. "Well, are you going to see what it is?"</p><p>Tweek reaches out and pokes at the mystery package with his index finger, his confused musings momentarily forgotten. Where did this contraption come from? Tweek is looking at it as if it is a bomb or something. AN ALIEN BOMB! And it will turn him into one of them…. </p><p>"Gah! What if it’s a nuclear missile from North Korea? or the Alien Gnomes? Oh God! They sent it here to get me! They want my blood. I'll open it and then KABOOM and then the radiation will get me! My skin will start to melt away...and, and, and then the radiation will spread and get you guys too and–"</p><p>"Tweek, calm down," Craig picks up the mystery package from the table and shakes it, making Tweek flinch. "See… it's not a bomb or nuclear missile."</p><p>"Oh God, what if it's a zombie Guinea pig brought to life by the Grand Wizard Gnome’s dark magic and it's going to jump out and EAT my face as soon as I open it!"</p><p>Craig looks at the blond slightly insulted, "It’s physically impossible for guinea pigs to be zombies. They are just too pure." He brings the package to his head, tilts it until he is holding it against his ear. "See… there is nothing alive," he looks at the panicked expression on Tweek's face, "or dead.” He hands the package to Tweek who reluctantly accepts it. "I promise."</p><p>Tweek glares at the small box shaped gift in his hands.</p><p>“At least unwrap it,” Bebe suggests in a sing song voice. Her too wide grin is back and is making the anxiety coiling inside his stomach worse. That sense of over bearing anticipation is back. It hangs over the group in thick smoke like waves. To add to it, in the not so far distance, the grumbling of unhappy customers can be heard. </p><p>Token turns and looks back at the front of the coffee shop in the direction of the unmanned counter, an uneasy expression marring his handsome face, “we probably should hurry this up!”</p><p>“One of us could probably go and take care of the till, help out a bit,” Bebe’s voice is normal this time and although her words send fresh coils of anxious energy through Tweek’s twitching frame, they also oddly soothe him. After all, if their friends go take care of things, then Craig and Tweek can be alone when Craig drops whatever bomb he plans to drop.</p><p>“Th…they just need some laughs,” Jimmy is already slowly climbing to his feet. Token who was still standing the whole time, passes him his crutches.</p><p>“Lad…Ladi…Wo..Women and Gentlemen, “Jimmy’s voice is loud and slightly grates on Tweek’s already frayed nerves. “ WHY Did the Coffee cross the road?”</p><p>Despite their annoyance and out right entitlement at being dismissed mere minutes earlier, the majority of the crowd have settled down and are openly staring at Jimmy as he slowly makes his way to the centre of Tweek Bro’s. “Anyone?”</p><p>After a fraction of a second when no one has answered, Jimmy proclaims in a loud over the top voice, “To get away from the spilled milk… Thank you, thank you very much.” He then laughs at his own terrible joke. “You have been a g…gr…great audience.”</p><p>As this is happening, both Bebe and Token are already heading to the front of the shop. Craig meanwhile is openly glaring at Clyde who is still sitting across from them, holding his face in his hands, leaning against the table as he stares at them with an almost blissful gaze.</p><p>“Clyde.” Craig’s monotone voice has risen slightly in octave.</p><p>For his part Clyde just shakes his head, “No way,” he flashes Craig an overly enthusiastic smile. “I am not missing this for the world” he sighs, almost dreamily, batting his eyes at Craig. “Seeing Craig Tucker emotional, “ a giddy laugh, “is a once in a life time experience.”</p><p>“Do you want to fucking die?”</p><p>“It will be so worth it,” Clyde replies in a dreamy voice.</p><p>Sighing, because there is no arguing with Clyde when he gets this stupid, Craig turns his focus back onto Tweek. </p><p>“Tweekers, I promise,” he shifts his gaze slightly to the table as the top of his ears turn red. “That I…..” he turns his body slightly so Tweek can’t see his face, “won’t let anything happen to you.” The last part comes out in a big rush, all of Craig’s words jumbled together and barely recognizable.</p><p>“Awwww Craigy, you’re red as a tomato!” Clyde chirps in, breaking the moment.</p><p>“I fucking swear to God Clyde, if you don’t fucking shut up,” Craig hisses from under his breath.</p><p>The normal bickering between the two close friends grounds Tweek. The anxieties wrapping themselves around his entire being moments ago are gone.</p><p>“Okay,” his soft voice seems to pull the other two from their staring match (Craig is openly glaring and Clyde stares back at him with an amused expression) as both glance up at Tweek.</p><p>“I… I’ll open it.” Tweek starts to slowly peel the brown packing from the parcel. Once it is completely unwrapped, Tweek places the parcel back onto the table and stares at it in confusion. There is no tag, no card, just his name written messily in dark ink on top of the wrapped parcel. The wrapping paper looks homemade – white delicate paper adorned with roughly drawn space themed illustrations, crooked stars carefully coloured in a rainbow motif, and straight blocks of colour lined up underneath each other until the surface of the stars are fully covered. A lopsided golden moon, the buttery yellow tones carefully picked to mimic the colour of Tweek's own messy locks. Misshapen planets, more ovals then circles, sharp curves of colour splashed within the confines of said planets. Placed around each galactic entity, as if the artist had given up, are numerous stickers. One in particular sticks out. It's a Green Guinea pig dressed like an alien complete with blue antennas. </p><p>"Gah! W-what is this??" Tweek demands poking at the wrapped package again with the tip of his middle finger. Craig’s eyes widen slightly at the gesture, a smug smile sliding across his lips. “Nice.”<br/>
Clyde starts howling with laughter at Craig’s obviousness, but Tweek only stares at them both, as his bewilderment grows.</p><p>Pretending Clyde doesn’t exist at all, Craig turns his bright emerald eyes onto Tweek. "It looks like a present," Craig's bored drawl responds, “you should open it".</p><p>Clyde is nodding, "don't you think that Guinea pig sticker sort of looks like Stripe." Clyde smirk is so wide, it appears as if it may split his face in half.</p><p>Craig opens his mouth to say something, but abruptly closes it and then flips him off.</p><p>Slowly, Tweek starts to unwrap the gift. A second layer of blue tissue paper is wrapped around a box. He pulls that wrapping off as well until the wooden box is unwrapped. The box itself is no bigger than the kind that jewellery stores give out when you purchase a necklace. Its wooden surface has been stained cherry red. Intricate designs are carved into every surface of the box. More stars, planets and what appears to be a space ship, but in the very middle of the box carved in pain staking detail is a guinea pig family. Two larger guinea pigs, and then a baby guinea pig resembling the sticker. One of the adult Guinea pigs is wearing a certain blue hat with a yellow pom pom.</p><p>"Oh wow, it’s totally not obvious who that is from, not at all." Clyde is snickering again.</p><p>"Shut the fuck up!" Anger radiates off of Craig, and he jumps to his feet as he leans across the table and shoves both his middle fingers into Clyde’s smug face.</p><p>“Why are you so mean, Craig?" Clyde turns away from Craig and looks over at Tweek, his eyes filling with crocodile tears again.</p><p>“Because you won’t take a fucking hint!” Craig is sitting again, arms folded across his chest. He is sitting so close to Tweek that their bodies are pressed right up against each other causing the dizziness from earlier to return. </p><p>“Well, excuse me for wanting to be supportive,” Clyde is wiping at his eyes and whimpering slightly.</p><p>Craig rolls his eyes and then, for good measure, flips Clyde off again. </p><p>“Gah, thanks for helping me get over the fear of my… um… present.” Tweek isn’t a hundred percent sure what is going on but has the sense that Craig won’t actually take whatever this is further with Clyde present. “but um….can you…. um…..””What Tweek is trying to say is ‘Fuck off’.”</p><p>It’s as if the three of them are at a standstill. Craig glaring at their friend, Clyde silently whimpering deeply hurt that Craig didn’t want to share this moment with him, and Tweek staring at the present not sure of what he is feeling.</p><p>And then, like the angel she is, Bebe’s heavenly voice floats over to them from the front of the cafe. “Clyde we need your help.” </p><p>Like a moth drawn to a flame, Clyde immediately forgets his desire to crash Craig and Tweek’s private party and climbs out of his seat. “Coming,” he sighs in a love sick voice, practically floating over to the front of the coffee shop.</p><p>Tweek has momentarily forgotten that they were actually at work and his eyes widen in panic. Oh God, they had just left the till and now their friends, who don’t even work here and probably don’t know what they are doing, are manning the shop. His parents are going to ground him. No, worse, they will sell him to The Underpants Gnomes who will force him into a life of crime where he has to sneak out and steal other people’s underpants!!</p><p>“They have it covered” Craig says as if he could read Tweek’s frantic thoughts. “Besides, this is important.”</p><p>That strange mix of anticipation and anxiety hangs over him as he follows Craig’s gaze to the jewellery shaped like box on the table. “The real present is inside.” His voice is so soft it doesn’t even sound like him. He pushes the box over towards Tweek. “Please open it.”</p><p>Tweek watches Craig for a moment, his ‘best friend’ is fidgeting with the fabric of his black Red Racer t-shirt, his fingers shaking slightly as they poke and prod at the garments material. In their entire friendship, as long as Tweek as known Craig, he has never appeared this nervous.</p><p>For the first time since Craig’s more than probable confession, Tweek is filled with anticipation as he reaches out and gently picks up the box. He pulls on what appears to be the lid carefully, but it won’t budge causing Tweek to frown down at it. “Gah, is this some kind of joke?”</p><p>Craig gives him a funny look and then shakes his head, “of course not.” He reaches over and takes the box out of Tweek’s hands. He examines it for a moment, running his fingers along the wooden surface before he yanks hard on the top of the box, and yet it still won’t budge. A look of total puzzlement falls across his face and then his eyes widen and a slight smile slides across his lips. “OHHHH,” he passes Tweek back the gift, “I forgot.” He reaches into the pocket of his jeans and pulls out a small wrapped gift. He looks at it for a moment and then passes it over to Tweek. “Happy birthday!”</p><p>Tweek looks at the present, his fingers gently sliding across the thin substance of the package taking in the texture of the paper. The wrapping is the same as the one that was on the box confirming now what Tweek had begun to suspect; that Craig had sent him the mystery parcel. </p><p>Aqua meets Emerald as Tweek starts to slowly unwrap the gift, his eyes not leaving Craig’s. It’s not until the last of the paper falls away and he feels the sharp edge of cold metal does he look away and glances down at the object in his hand. It’s a key.</p><p>Craig shrugs, “you’ll need that to unlock the box.”</p><p>It’s obvious really, but Tweek isn’t going to put that thought into words. He isn’t going to do anything to disrupt this moment. Slowly, he raises the box that Craig had made for him up off of the table. He gently turns it in his hands, studying the guinea pig family. His face flushing again at the implication, he allows himself a moment to really take in the details on the wooden surface. “How long did it take you to make this?”</p><p>Craig has turned away from him again. “It was nothing.” His voice sounds funny like he is suddenly overcome with emotion. “The lock is at the top by the way.” It’s said in his normal monotone as if the inner struggles he was having have melted away. “I… it’s just….” he makes a dismissive motion with his hand, like it’s not important, like it’s not everything, “something I did when I was bored.” </p><p>If it was anyone else, Tweek would be offended, hurt even by the dismissal of this unique gift, but he has known Craig practically his entire life, has loved him just as long. Craig isn’t one to dwell on his emotions. Feelings are something foreign to him, and yet he had poured his time, his heart, his feelings into such a gift, and he had made it for Tweek.</p><p>Tweek’s face lights up with this realization and for a moment, he is overcome. It’s the pressure of Craig’s hand on his that makes it possible for him to continue to examine the intricate box. His eyes falling over every line and grain in the cherry stained wood. Then finally at the very top he notices it, a small little golden lock. He dares a quick look at Craig. The stoic boy’s mask has completely come undone. His eyes shine with sentiments that have never been expressed. He has removed his hat, and is running his right hand nervously through his ink coloured locks as he watches Tweek. </p><p>This is it. Whatever he finds in this box will change everything, Tweek realizes as he pushes the key into the lock. His heart is a flutter again, threatening to run away with whatever secret the gift holds. Barely contained excitement is causing him to vibrate slightly, the spasms only stopping when Craig presses his leg up against Tweek’s. The others touch has always been the thing that calms him. The other’s presence the very thing that grounds him and pulls him back from the brink, so it really isn’t shocking when the familiar calmness rushes through his body.</p><p>He turns the key in the lock and gently lifts the lid open. </p><p>Inside the box is a small moonstone charm. Tweek removes it from the box and turns it around in his hand. The gem is cut into the shape of a heart. What was this? Why would Craig give him a heart? Was this some kind of message? What did it mean?</p><p>Inner turmoil twists though his calmness as his gaze flicks back and forth between the moonstone and Craig.</p><p>Craig is staring straight ahead, not looking away from Tweek but not directly looking at him either. He is quiet for a moment, allowing Tweek to collect his thoughts as he touches the surface of the heart, his fingers sliding back and forth across the smooth contours of the stone.</p><p>Then, his voice barely above a whisper, filled with things previously unspoken falls over them, “It’s my heart,” a nervous little laugh, “and the key was….” he turns, forcing Tweek to hold his gaze, “I am not good with this type of stuff…” A shrug, “I know you deserve better, but….” a long drawn out sigh, “will you accept?”</p><p>Tweek just stares at him. Never in his wildest dreams (and he has had a lot of them) would he picture Craig confessing like this. The sweetness of the moment is what really gets to him. It’s not so much the amount of thought and effort the other must have put into this idea, but rather the fact that he had the thought of doing this in the first place. Crystallized drops fall freely from his eyes. Gently, Craig reaches over and wipes them away. Tweek feels foolish. Craig had made all this effort for him and hear he is blabbering like a baby.</p><p>“Don’t cry Tweekers. If this is too much….” he shifts uncomfortably, worry falling across his brow, and slowly spreading across his face, marring his perfection. </p><p>Tweek shakes his head, “It’s not that…” He reaches out with trembling fingers and curls them around Craig’s hand... “I… and you…and it’s just…you did all this… for me.” </p><p>Craig’s lazy smile is back and he is practically glowing, radiating goodness and things that dreams are made up off. </p><p>“So, if you accept…” a pause, as if Craig is struggling with the last part - the critical part - the last words that will bring them past the abyss of friendship and into the unknown, “I’d want yours back in return of course.”</p><p>“I… um… Gah! Pressure!” Tweek swallows the lump growing in his throat, preventing him from giving voice to the words he has so desperately wanted to say for so long. </p><p>“Oh…” Craig slowly removes his hand, and shifts slightly away from Tweek. “I understand if you don’t see me that way.” His voice, although his usual nasally monotone, shakes slightly. </p><p>“No, gah! It’s not that… I... just… GAH, OH GOD!” he takes a deep breath, “Y…y…yeah…I…I… yeah me too.”</p><p>Instantly Craig’s face lights up, that radiant smile back. If there was even the slightest measure of doubt in Tweek’s mind on just what Craig was implying with this whole gift, just what he was asking for with his earlier confession, it is gone. </p><p>The others must have known what was happening as soon as the UPS delivery person showed up as well. Why else would they have huddled around the two with such rampant fascination? Which means Craig had planned this with them, or at least, had told them about his plans, and Craig doesn’t talk about his feelings. Yet, here they were, sitting in their usual booth in Tweek Bro’s on a bright and sunny day (the sun is still a malicious bitch but Tweek can appreciate her glory now). Craig had done all of this for him. It’s too much. No one, not even Tweek’s own parents, have ever done something so special for him.</p><p>Craig is reaching behind him again, pulling yet another gift seemingly from nowhere, “the others wanted in on it,“ he explains as he puts the wrapped parcel onto the table in front of Tweek. The wrapping on this particular gift is a bright purple, with pink, and blue cartoon sneakers adorning the paper. “Bebe?” Tweek asks as he lifts the gift off of the table and cradles it against his chest. </p><p>Craig just nods, “you probably should wait to open it,” he rolls his eyes, “otherwise Clyde might cry.” And then, as if it was no big deal he leans forward and places a small kiss against Tweek’s forehead. When he pulls away, his face is slightly flushed and he is grinning. “That was from me though.”</p><p>“Ngh, I... I think you missed…” Tweek responds his face on fire.</p><p>Craig looks at Tweek with a puzzled expression. “What?”</p><p>Tweek lets out a nervous little giggle. Oh God I sound like a girl, he thinks as he leans slightly towards the other. In his bravest voice he says, “You’re meant to kiss me here, right?” Tweek reaches up and lightly taps his lips with his right index finger.</p><p>If Craig’s smile gets any wider, it will float off of his lips and then he would be lip less, so really it’s in his best interest if Tweek does something about it, right? Like what kind of best friend, no, boyfriend would he be if he didn’t save his Craig’s lips. Before Craig can react to his words, Tweek leans fully forward and lightly brushes his lips over Craig’s. The kiss is over faster than it began, yet the feel of Craig’s lips against his own is enough to solidify everything. </p><p>“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Craig teases.</p><p>Tweek sticks his tongue out at the other. “Brat.”</p><p>Craig leans forward recapturing Tweek’s lips with his own. For his part, Tweek applies a bit more pressure against Craig’s lips, kissing the other with a bit more intensity then before.</p><p>Loud cheers and clapping pull the two from their little moment as their friends reappear at the table. “Oh God!” Tweek screeches covering his face with his hands. They were just kissing in the coffee shop, in front of everyone, in front of the customers, in front of the cafe’s security cameras… ”My parents,” Tweek moans realizing they will see the whole thing on the security footage. “Ngh, Oh God, the cameras…I am so dead… they will sell me to the gnomes for sure after they see that.”</p><p>“Tweek, Tweekers, Tweeky…”</p><p>Tweek peeks at Craig from behind his hands, “What?”</p><p>“Relax,” his smug look is back, “I may have accidentally,“ He lifts his hands up into the air and makes little quotations with his fingers at the word accidentally, “disconnected the cameras this morning, so you don’t have to worry.”</p><p>“You... you planned to do this today?” Tweek has lowered his hands from his face and is staring at Craig with shock.</p><p>“Well of course,” a shrug, “making sure UPS delivered your gift on time was the hardest part of the plan. It was supposed to be here on Saturday, but the delivery time updated early yesterday morning so I had to get creative.” An uneasy smile, “sorry for making you work on your day off, but I wanted to do this on a day your parents weren’t working.” Craig is picking at the fibres of his t-shirt again.</p><p>“Wait, you… you’re the reason I am working today?” Tweek asks as Clyde slides into the booth next to him, Bebe carelessly plopping herself done on his lap.</p><p>Craig is nodding, “it wasn’t that hard, I just mentioned how it would be so nice for them to go to the beach on such a lovely day.” Another shrug, “sorry, I know you hate working when you’re not supposed too but…. “</p><p>“What Mr. Emotional here is trying to say, is that he thought it would be romantic to FINALLY man up…” Clyde starts to verbalize but then BeBe hits him gently with her purse. </p><p>“Quiet, Clyde you’re ruining it.”</p><p>“But babe, we both know that if we waited for Craig to admit it, we would be here ALL night, and I am getting hungry. I say we order some celebratory pizzas, and maybe some sushi, and some City Wok kungpo chicken.”</p><p>“Don’t you ever think about anything else but food?” Token asks from his seat across from them. </p><p>“It’s physically impossible for Clyde to go thirty seconds without complaining about food,” Jimmy chirps in.</p><p>Both Bebe and Craig lean forward as laughter fills the cafe. Despite all the shocking information that Tweek is learning, he can’t help but grin at his friend’s antics. He has always in the past felt like he didn’t fit in, but now, with the knowledge that Craig and all their friends helped bring this whole thing into motion makes Tweek feel warm and loved.</p><p>“Pizza sounds good,” Kenny says as he grabs a chair from another table and pushes it to the booth they are all sitting at. He plops down on it, reaching over to grab Token’s drink and taking a large sip. “Dude, there isn’t enough sugar in this!”</p><p>“Get your own,” Token replies with a glare.</p><p>“Shouldn’t you be working, McCormick?” Craig deadpans.</p><p>“Shouldn’t you?” He flashes Craig a cheeky grin, “or does dating the bosses son give you slacking off privileges?</p><p>Tweek looks up at Kenny in confusion, when had he gotten there? Wait, if everyone is at the table with Craig and him, whose manning the till? “Gah! the shop! I gotta…””Relax Honey,” Craig flings his arm around Tweek’s shoulders, “we’re the only one in the store.”Tweek’s eyes dart around the shop as to confirm for himself his boyfriend’s words.<br/>
”Awwww isn’t that sweet? Using pet names already,” Kenny winks at Tweek, “That must have been some kiss Tweekers.” As he is speaking, he reaches over casually (like it’s the most normal thing to do) and picks up Bebe’s drink, taking a large sip, “Now this is good.”  </p><p>Clyde is too preoccupied with the new couple to notice Kenny flirt with his girlfriend. For her part, Bebe ignores Kenny, grabs her drink back, and then turns her attention to the present sitting in front of Tweek. “Don’t keep us in suspense” she nods at the gift. “Open it.” </p><p>Upon spotting the moonstone pendant sitting in front of Tweek in the guinea pig adorned wooden box, Kenny turns his flirtatious smile onto Craig, “You gave him a moonstone shaped heart? Awww Craigory, you have a heart after all.””Yeah, and it belongs to Tweek, now fuck off,” Craig’s gruff voice retorts. </p><p>Kenny laughs, “treat blondie here right or someone may try and take him away from you…” another wink and then he climbs to his feet, swiping Bebe’s drink as he does so, “oh, and Clyde? The same goes for you.” He blows Bebe a kiss as he walks away towards the front of the cafe.</p><p>Clyde’s attention is dragged away from Craig and Tweek at Kenny’s words, “Bebe…”</p><p>“I... Ignore him, he’s an ass.” Jimmy pipes up, trying to calm Clyde down. “He’s not worthy of our t… time.”<br/>
“Can we get back to what’s important, please,” Bebe pleads. She reaches over and steals Clyde’s drink, who just beams up at her, “Tweek’s present.””We spared no expense,” Token chimes in. His friends groan, and he frowns at them, “What? We didn’t? You all chipped in and I made up the difference. Tweek is worth it after all.”</p><p>Craig squeezes Tweek’s shoulder with his right hand at the statement, “you’re not wrong there Token.”</p><p>Shyly, Tweek reaches forwards and lifts up the gift from his friends, “I don’t know what to say guys, thank you.”</p><p>Their friends beam at him, “It was nothing,” they seem to say in unison.</p><p>“Honey, you should open it, before McCormick comes back.”</p><p>Laughing softly, Tweek feels warm and fuzzy and just a bit embarrassed by all the fuss. “But, my birthday isn’t until this weekend?” he reminds everyone, “shouldn’t I open it then?”</p><p>“No way,” Clyde says. “It’s supposed to go with your other gift, the one from Craig. “Come on now, don’t keep us in suspense. Open it.” Clyde is looking at Tweek like he is his favourite flavour of jellybeans in the discount bin.</p><p>Grinning at Clyde’s enthusiasm, Tweek reaches to the table and picks up the present. He starts to slowly unwrap it, taking care not to damage the pretty paper too badly, as he plans to reuse it on Bebe’s birthday.</p><p>“What did the present say to the other present?” </p><p>“Seriously Jimmy, this isn’t the time for a joke,” Craig’s deadpan voice proclaims.</p><p>“Craig, anytime is a good time for joke, so… what’s the answer?””To get to the wrapping paper?” Clyde guesses.</p><p>“What?! “ Jimmy’s shock is genuine, “Have you heard this one before”</p><p>“No you’re jokes are just so predictably bad that even Clyde, being as dumb as he is, can guess the punch line.” ”CRAIG!” Jimmy and Clyde say in unison, “why are you so mean?”</p><p>“I was born this way.”</p><p>“Oh wow! Guy’s… I can’t accept this…” Tweek stares down at the silver chain sitting in the box, it looks homemade but the quality is superb, each link of silver has been expertly dyed a different colour of the rainbow.</p><p>“Nonsense,” Bebe climbs off of Clyde’s lap and stands. She takes a few steps until she is standing directly behind Tweek. “You don’t want to leave Craig’s heart to sit all alone in that guinea pig box now, do you?” She gives Craig a look. An ‘I knew you had a heart, even if it’s made of stone’ look.</p><p>Craig just rolls his eyes at her and then leans forward to plant a kiss on the top of Tweek’s head. </p><p>“I don’t think they can return it honey,” He reaches over and delicately picks up the moonstone heart pendant out of the handcrafted box, and then passes it to Bebe.</p><p>She nods at Craig as she accepts the charm, and then she reaches over Tweek, hugging him slightly, taking the chain out of his hands. With the precise movements of her fingers, she puts the Heart pendant onto the chain and then puts it around Tweek’s neck finally closing the clasp. “There.”<br/>
Without another word, she returns to her seat on top of Clyde’s lap, who copies Craig’s earlier movement and kisses the top of her head.</p><p>Craig rolls his eyes at this, and entwines his fingers with Tweek. “Happy Birthday honey, now you can um… carry my heart with you everywhere.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I wrote this a while ago and originally intended it to be part of the Gnome series but then changed my mind because Creek get together in a different way in that series. So this is just a special occasion one shot (i may just make a series of one shots).</p><p>Funny story I had written this fic earlier this summer and then I lost it, so AmberCreek95 was nice enough to resend me the edited version.</p><p>Also sorry if Craig is a bit OCC i tried my best to keep him character considering how mushy the gift was!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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